


Good News for People Who Love Bad News

by evenhappierthanjane



Category: Lizzie Bennet Diaries
Genre: Canon-Balled, F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-01
Updated: 2013-05-07
Packaged: 2017-12-10 03:47:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 12,131
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/781417
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/evenhappierthanjane/pseuds/evenhappierthanjane
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jane and Bing are moving to the Big Apple. Guess which two lovely people get pulled into a road-trip together?</p>
<p>I really wanted a fic like this when the whole NYC reveal happened, no-matter how ridiculous it was, and since none was made, at least to my knowledge, I decided to write one since LBD fic seemed to be dying out.</p>
<p>This is my third fic and I SUCK at dialogue and grammar, sorry!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

“Moving to New York with Jane in one week. Would you mind helping us pack and driving some of our boxes there? You are the best.”

Darcy knew the second that Bing texted that he would do it. He always took care of Bing, and it was the least he could do to make up for what he had done to him and Jane. Bing wasn’t being assuming or demanding, Darcy understood that. Bing was just asking for a friend’s help in a time of major change. Also, Darcy, however afraid he may be, wanted an excuse to see Lizzie. They were so close, but then everything happened and he hadn’t heard from her. There was no way he could back out now, but there was also no way for him to move forward without being absolutely certain about her feelings. 

Jane and Bing walked out of the den holding hands and Jane told Lizzie the news. Lizzie insisted on helping pack and driving their stuff across the country. She used the excuses of it being cheaper, her having nothing left to do but her thesis, more reliable, and time efficient. Although, Lizzie really was using this to get some time to herself to sort out everything. She and Lydia were getting closer and she was so grateful for that, but no-matter how close they were getting she and Lydia still needed some space every once and a while and she needed time to herself. She needed to figure out what she was actually doing with her life, without focusing on anyone else, not her parents, not Jane, not Lydia, not even Darcy. Yes, she knew her feelings for him, but that did not mean that she knew what to do with those feelings. He put himself out there the last two times, it seemed more than fair that it was her turn, but he was harder to read. You could plainly see the emotions on her face, but his face was filled with subtly and sometimes it is hard to tell if it it conveyed an imagined or subtle truth. It was too easy to be unsure with him, and she didn’t want to make things worse than she already had.

Unbeknownst to Lizzie, Bing had the upperhand in either situation. He knew of Darcy’s feelings, for how could he explain the situation with the eldest Bennet sister without confessing his affection for the younger, and through Lizzie’s videos and Jane’s confidence he knew of some partiality on Lizzie’s side. He was not a vicious person, but he did scheme occasionally when it suited his fancy, and how could he not do this favor for his best friend who took care of him, and for the sister of the woman he loved?

Darcy quickly rearranged his schedule. He had a satellite phone allowing access to the internet anywhere, this came to his advantage during situations such as these. Yes, it was risky taking this amount of time off of work, especially after all the time he missed with the George fiasco, but he had a conference scheduled in two weeks in Chicago and that was just past halfway. That gave him one week to make it out there, averaging just over 6 hours a day (allowing him to teleconference on important business matters) and one twelve-hour day or two six-hour days, depending on the situation, to make it to the conference from New York. This, plus the two days before leaving left him with three to four days in New York. Things seemed to be aligning for this trip. Darcy wondered why now, all of a sudden and for the first time, the universe seemed to be on his side.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Darcy is in town and Lizzie still hasn't seen him, what is up with that?

Lizzie had heard that Darcy came to help Bing with the move, but she hadn’t seen him. Two days he had been, not only close to where she lived, but interacting with her sister and he hadn’t had the decency to talk to her. All of the courage she had gained soon dwindled. She really had used his subtleties to suit her fancy. This only made her more grateful for the upcoming trip. She could soon get away from Darcy and everyone, sort through her own matters and then come home and dive into her thesis. If only it were that easy......

Jane needed to be picked up at Netherfield, so Lizzie went as the designated chauffeur. As Lizzie stepped out of the car, to go inside and get Jane, she saw Darcy walk out of the front door, eyes on his phone. Her heart stopped, yes she knew it was a possibility that she would see him, but she never thought they would be together alone. She was already out of the car, she couldn’t just climb back in and wait for him to pass. He did seem pretty consumed with his phone, maybe she could walk past and he wouldn’t even notice...... It almost worked. Lizzie casually walked passed him and he glanced up, it seemed more out of habit than actually attentiveness though. He quickly glanced back down and then up again. “He-Hello Lizzie,” he stammered. She did expect an emotional reaction to this, she did not however expect him to say her name in such a tender way. Now, she was questioning his affection again and was in even more of a debacle than before. “Seriously?” She thought “He says my name and I freak out, I do really need time to mull this over.” She quietly replied an awkward salutation. “What are you doing here?” He asked, not in an accusatory way, just curiously. She replied “Jane needed a ride home...”   
“Oh, well, I was just on my way out to get my car checked for the trip out, I could have easily given her a ride.”  
“Well, you know Jane. She is all that is sweet and kind and probably didn’t wish to inconvenience you. Wait, did you say trip? Where are you going?” She quickly added “If you don’t mind me asking, of course.”  
“No, it’s fine. I’m driving out Jane and Bing’s stuff to New York for them. I have plenty of space, can telecommute, it is cost efficient, and I have a conference in Chicago in about two weeks that could easily fit on the way. It seemed the best option considering all of the available options.”  
Lizzie stared, looking confused, for a moment before shyly saying “But, I was supposed to do that. I’m leaving tomorrow...... It was my idea. I came up with it and asked Bing and Jane if it was okay.”  
Darcy awkwardly smiled. “Well, it seems that I have no friends left that do not scheme on my behalf.”  
Lizzie laughed and it made both of them a little happy and a little confused.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FYI: I figured Lizzie would be on hiatus from her vlogs, what would she have filmed, her in her car?

The next morning Lizzie arrived at Netherfield promptly at 7:30 with coffee and scones. They had chosen to take Darcy’s black Cadillac, a suburban. It was comfier, bigger, better equipped, and more fit for a cross-country drive. Yesterday, after discussing all the available options, Lizzie and Darcy had decided to keep with Darcy’s plan, it seemed rude to re-organize his business plans so many times within the last couple months, and the lack of hotel options in some parts of the country, especially on such short notice, had made him book two queen-sized bed rooms all the way across the country, if a suite was not available. It might be awkward, but it beat Lizzie’s original plan of 4 car-filled days and sleeping in her car for the nights in-between and it was so terribly convenient. 

Lizzie was determined to get something out of this trip, even if the only thing was to help Bing and Jane and figure out Darcy’s feelings for her. She didn’t know what would happen once they reached Chicago. He had a pent-house apartment there that was more than accommodating for their needs. He invited her to stay with him, on account of her never having been there before. He explained that while he was in meetings she could work on her thesis and then when he was free he could help her with her thesis and show her around the city. He said that it was the least he could do since he never really got to properly show her around his city, and Chicago was definitely his city, if he ever moved to the mid-west. Lizzie had neither accepted or rejected the offer. She claimed that she might want to stay in New York a little longer. Honestly, she was waiting to come to a conclusion on Darcy’s feelings. She did not wish to overstep her boundaries if he was merely being polite, but if his feelings were friendly or even the same as in October...... Well, it didn’t do well to dwell on that.

He thanked her for the breakfast and they set out.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fyi: In my head, I assumed that Lizzie wouldn't be trying to contact anyone. Between sketchy service, trying to get an informed decision on Darcy's feelings, figuring out her life, and giving people much needed space, she wouldn't be glued to her phone.

They planned to get to Las Vegas by the first night. At first the car was silent. Lizzie only asking questions about where to put her belongings and their route choices. After about 15 minutes of awkwardly fidgeting, Lizzie asked if he could put on some music. He asked her of her preference and she said she had none, even after Darcy insisted that he did not ask just to “mock her tastes”. He connected a playlist to his speaker system that was surprisingly chill. Lizzie would describe it as “Indie” with some 90’s and early 2000’s rock mixed in with a sprinkling of classical and oldies. It was relaxing, although not necessarily her cup of tea. Darcy would call it “alternative”. There was occasionally a song which she recognized and even a couple that she knew some of the words to. This greatly surprised her, but what surprised her more was the look in Darcy’s eyes as he gazed at her while she sang along looking out the window, if it weren’t for the side mirrors, she would have never seen it. She continued to sing as smile spread across her face “We both got fired on exactly the same day. Well, we'll float on, good news is on the way.”  


When they stopped for a break, he got out of the car and pumped the gas. She got out and ask him of his snack preferences. He handed her his card, saying it would be more convenient if she just went and paid for the snacks and the gas inside. She never questioned it, never protested. It was just Darcy being Darcy and she was okay with that.  


They arrived in Las Vegas at around three in the afternoon. Darcy got out of the car for the valet and went to the back to get their bags. Lizzie got out and grabbed the bag she would need for the night and proceeded to walk toward the entrance. She soon felt a warmth against her skin and smiled at the thought of Darcy holding her hand, but it was gone in an instant, and she realized that he was just taking her bag for her. “Ever the gentleman, but nothing more,” she thought........  


When they got to their room, Lizzie had to let out a small gasp. She tried to act casual, but the room was something she had only seen on the travel channel, never in real life, let alone actually staying there. Part of her was glad that it was big enough that she would have plenty of space, but another part of her was sad that she wouldn’t be close to him, even if only in the physical sense. He informed Lizzie that he was going to shower and then had a teleconference until 5. After that he presumed that they would have dinner and then do whatever she wanted because he had been there enough times. She said that she would just want to walk down the strip for an hour and pop-in whatever place looked interesting and maybe hit a casino for a little bit. He nodded in approval and promptly turned toward one of the rooms.  
She found a room that she found comfortable, called Lydia, showered, and got ready. At 5:15 she heard a knock on her door. She grabbed her purse and slipped on a pair of flats. If she used Darcy’s shoulder for support while doing the latter action, she didn’t seem to notice, although he definitely did. Dinner was good, quiet, but not uncomfortable. She asked politely, but not inquisitively, about his business. He asked about her food. After that he was mute and she was lost in thought. “If he really did like me wouldn’t he be treating this more like a date than simply a social convention?”. She was so busy analyzing him that she didn’t realize that he had just paid for her until he got up and helped her out of her chair.  


She apologized profusely, saying that her intention was to pay and got caught up in the food, and hadn’t realized until it was too late. He smiled genuinely and assured her that it was perfectly okay, that he had assumed he would be paying for her dinner and did not check with her as he should have.  


It wasn’t that the strip was that bad, she had seen worse, so much worse, and that kind of thing didn’t bother her, not that it got her going either, but it seemed so weird with Darcy there. She would glance up at him and notice that his neck was retracting and he was very politely staring at the ground as he walked. She soon grabbed his arm and dragged him in the nearest casino, smiling at what a gentleman he truly was.  


Once they entered she saw his figure relax, not all the way, but considerably more than outside. She turned to him and handed him a fifty dollar bill. He quirked an eyebrow.  


“It’s a game. You see, we will meet back here in half an hour and whoever has made, or kept, depending on the situation, the most wins. You got it?” She smiled encouragingly.  
“One question: what is the penalty of losing or the prize for winning?” He still had an eyebrow quirked.  
She glanced around, clearly not expecting that question, as she saw the bar, she regained her posture and said “Loser buys the winner a drink, and the winner picks their prize. Deal?” She held out her hand. She had nothing to lose, worst case scenario she would be out of a drink, and she knew Will was gentlemanly enough to not take advantage of the situation if he won, even if she didn’t know how he would want to take advantage of it.  
He grinned and shook her hand. He leaned in towards her and whispered in her ear “Deal.”  
She couldn’t help but realize that this would probably be the closest she would be to holding Will’s hand and she couldn’t help but shiver.  


They found each other at 7:30 and both of them came grinning. Lizzie had doubled her money with a solid $100. She proudly showed her earnings to Darcy, whose grin widened on seeing her winnings. He then held out five $100 bills. Lizzie teased about him cheating and probably using the cash in his wallet. If she would have looked up, she would have seen the shock and embarrassment in his face, showing that she was correct in her assumptions. Instead, she laughed and dragged him to the bar. After a couple drinks he loosened up and they got past occasional small talk. They were debating something ridiculous and neither one of them were making perfectly sound arguments, however passionate a tipsy Darcy and Lizzie were, they were not quite coherent. Lizzie paid the tab and they went out to a cab. When they entered the room Darcy said “ Well, I guess I’ll see you tomorrow morning. I thought we would leave at about 7:30 again.”  
Lizzie replied smilingly “Yes, that sounds great,” she turned away from him before adding “Goodnight Will,” and walked into her room.  
It took a minute for Darcy to respond, tipsy or not, Lizzie Bennet had never used his first name alone to address him directly before, let alone a nickname. But, as she closed her door she heard a faint “Goodnight, Lizzie.”


	5. Chapter 5

The next morning, resembled the last, except this time Darcy had the coffee and muffins. They got into the car in silence again. They would lose an hour while heading to Grand Junction, Colorado. When they stopped for gas, Darcy started to pull out his card. “Lizzie?” he called. “Yes, Will?” She responded while crossing the car. He immediately tensed, she wasn’t tipsy this time. It was obvious that she didn’t realize what she had done until she saw his reaction. “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize- It just came out. Is that okay?” “Yes, it is perfectly fine. I don’t mind at all. I just need to ask a favor. I have a couple teleconferences scheduled for while we are on the road. I was wondering if you would mind driving for the rest of the day.” He fidgeted with the keys and then held them out to her, with the card. She smiled as she grabbed the keys and card and went inside. 

They arrived at 5 local time. They ate at a local pizzeria and talked about some of the things that had happened in the meeting. They didn’t dive too heavily into details, but Lizzie had to be silent and the meeting was the only thing she could focus on during the drive. Plus, being a student she didn’t see real-life application of the theories she learned often and wanted to understand more. After she paid for the pizza, they decided to go downtown. There were a bunch of little shops, nothing fancy, nothing too exciting, but interesting enough to spend five minutes in each. Lizzie soon saw a record store. She pulled Darcy inside laughing. He casually browsed while Lizzie went directly to the “M’s”. After a few minutes, Darcy felt a slight tap on his shoulder and looked around. Lizzie held up a bag and said “I’m ready to go when you are.” “Well, then let’s head out, shall we?” He offered her his arm without thinking. She looped her arm through his tightly and skipped to the door. 

Lizzie woke up the next morning and found a note saying that he was out getting coffee and doughnuts. She smiled at his thoughtfulness and then ran to her room. She pulled out the bag from the record store the night before. She asked them to tie some twine around the record, that seemed like a Hipster way to wrap a gift, right? She honestly didn’t know. She pulled out some of the hotel stationary and a pen, quickly scrabbled a note, tucked it under the twine, and placed it on his bed. 

William made his way to his room to collect his bags, when he noticed something on his bed. 

“Will- Thank you so much for everything about this trip, you even let me drive your “Black Cadillac” :) You never really demanded your prize from the other night, and I thought this might be enough to tie you over until you decided :) -Lizzie Bennet” 

Will was touched by so many things. It was the vinyl of Modest Mouse’s Good News For People Who Loved Bad News. Lizzie had sung along to the song “Float On” on the album the first day of their trip. Her thoughtfulness, memory, and reference to another song on the album touched him. He tried not read too much into the album title, but he knew that coming from a Mass Communications Major, who was currently working on her thesis, that there probably was a deeper message buried in her gift. He put the album and note in his suitcase, smiling to himself. As Lizzie entered the car she heard “And it’s true we named our children after towns, that we’ve never been to....” She looked at him, meeting his eyes, and they both smiled. Their silence acknowledging all the things they couldn’t say, at least not yet. 

After they had listened to the entire album, Darcy decided to try and start a conversation. Lizzie smiled and encouraged him. They were both starting to hope, after seeing how they acted around each other the past two days. “I know this is a change of plans, but now that I trust you driving my ‘Black Cadillac’” he turned and saw her blush “I was wondering if you would mind skipping North Platte, and going directly to Des Moines. It adds about 6 hours to our day, well seven, with the time change, but there really is nothing worth stopping for in Nebraska, and I could get all of my business done while still being productive.” They switched spots after grabbing lunch in Denver and Darcy took care of business until seven. He then proceeded to let Lizzie sleep until they arrived in Des Moines around 11. 

He stopped the car, and heard her stirring from sleep. He grabbed the bags and checked in. He returned to the car and found Lizzie back asleep. Figuring that waking her was not the most efficient way to get this done. He picked her up and carried her. He was trembling slightly, but the sleeping Lizzie didn’t seem to notice. He was caught up in how peaceful she looked and how great it felt to carry her. She nuzzled into him and softly sighed and he was sure that he could get used to being loved by Lizzie Bennet, and how precious she was and that he, of all people, had the privilege and responsibility of holding her in his arms. But then, he realized, that she didn’t love him, and that it would be awkward if she woke up. She certainly didn’t feel the same way. Otherwise she would have contacted him. He made his feelings clear, he declared his love once, and asked her out on a date, both on camera for the entire world to see. Heck, he even bought a porn company to save her sister and put that on the internet. If she was even keeping tabs on him she would have known his influence in that realm of her life. Lizzie Bennet might have hated him, but if she knew what he had done, he knew that she would have openly acknowledged it and thanked him. So, the truth of the matter was that she did not even care about him enough to keep caught up on his life. Even when he practically handed her the means to. By accepting to go on this trip she was just being polite and trying to deal with a difficult situation. As he gently dropped her on the bed, her phone fell out. As he picked it up, he realized that she had been playing Modest Mouse on loop. The hope that he had destroyed by himself a few moments ago was restored, by how she chose to spend her time when she thought he would never know. He slept easier that night than he had in years.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't plan for Modest Mouse to have such significance. I quickly looked for a "hipster band" that I knew one song of. Modest Mouse came up and I knew "Paper Thin Walls" so I looked at their most popular song and chose that for Lizzie to know, then when I saw the album title and the song "Black Cadillac" I knew I had to do more.


	6. Chapter 6

The next morning, he got up and found a note saying that she was getting coffee and croissants. Her thoughtfulness reminded himself of the conclusion he came to the night before. She walked in humming to herself. He recognized the tune and softly joined in. She smiled up at him and they headed to the car. 

The next five hours in the car were pleasantly filled with banter. Nothing of importance was said, but the significance that they spent five hours talking, without any serious conflict, did not go unnoticed by either of them. 

They arrived in Chicago just past noon. Darcy pulled into a reserved parking spot and went to the back. He grabbed all of Lizzie’s luggage and proceeded to take it inside. “Will?” Lizzie asked. “Mmm?” He replied. “Why do you have all of my luggage?” “Well, I thought if you were staying here the week of the conference it would be easier to just leave all of the stuff you didn’t need for New York here.” “Oh,” She said, taken aback by the logicalness of the answer. She honestly hadn’t decided, so it didn’t occur to her, but the last couple days had been enjoyable and he already went to all that trouble, no point in backing out now. 

They took the elevator up and Darcy promptly pulled out a key. The entrance to the top floor was a small hallway, leading to french doors and an intercom system. Darcy unlocked the door and made space for her to walk in. As she entered she wasn’t surprised. The apartment was bright and clean, but not unwelcoming. As she examined it further, she realized that it was classically modern, if that was even possible. Everything was sleek and clean, but nothing was dated, it was a classic take on the modern appeal. “When it comes to Will, everything is a flawless contradiction, why wouldn’t his apartment be too?” She thought. 

He showed her to a room that followed the apartments decorational trend, except the room was a light blue. He set down her things and went out to the hallway. He motioned to the door directly across to hers. “This, would, uh, be my room. and the next one down is where Gigi usually stays. The door after that is the bathroom. The two doors next to yours lead to more guest rooms and the door at the end of the hallway is the office. Feel free to make yourself comfortable there for your thesis. If there is something that we do not have that you need please let me know and I will locate one for you. You’ll see the rest of the apartment later, but there is a place that I wanted to head for lunch, if that is okay with you?” She smiled “That sounds great!” “Let’s go then,” he said as he held out his arm. Her smile widened as she used his arm to pull him toward the door. 

The elevator doors opened and she looked up at him a little confused. They were on the ground floor, not the parking garage. He chuckled and tried to explain “A car would be inconvenient, we would constantly have to be parking and walking back and forth. A taxi can take us directly there in a more timely manner.” “Oh, it never occurred to me. I always thought taxis were for people who didn’t have cars.....” “It’s okay,” He smiled reassuringly “That’s how it is portrayed in movies, and a lot of people actually don’t have cars, it doesn’t make sense to pay that much for a car that will be sitting in parking when they still would have to walk everywhere.” 

She gripped his arm a little tighter, looking down and blushing as they walked onto the street. “How would you feel about another contest?” He asked, smiling down at her. She perked right back up. “What kind of contest?” “I’m assuming you have never hailed a cab before. Whoever hails the cab, if there is no distinct winner we can ask the driver, wins. The winner gets a drink, courtesy of the loser, and picks their prize. Deal?” He asked as he held out his hand. She unhooked her arm to shake his “Deal!” She yelled as she ran towards the street, waving frantically. As Darcy slowly approached, he let out the stereotypical “cab calling whistle”. A taxi soon moved their way and Lizzie hopped in. While climbing in Darcy said, “Water Tower Place, thank you.” 

As soon as the door was shut Lizzie addressed the driver, “Good sir, I must ask your judgement on a dreadfully squeamish issue. It is in regards to which one of us hailed this fine taxi. Could you do us the kind favor of illuminating us as to who grabbed your attention?” Lizzie had turned to Darcy at the “Darcyism” and they shared a smile. The driver spoke quietly. “I believe it was you, waving all your arms about.” She laughed and turned to Darcy “It seems we are even, Will. You owe me a drink and whatever I choose.” Darcy quirked an eyebrow at her, as he had seen the cab driver wink at him when she wasn’t looking. “All’s fair in love and war,” he thought “and maybe this time it is the former instead of the latter.” 

They exited the cab, Darcy paying the fare, and he returned to Lizzie, who was staring intently at soaps through the window right next to the rotating doors. She looked like a little kid and he chuckled. “At first I thought it was a candy store, but then I realized that it was soap. I felt so stupid.” “Maybe, you are just hungry. Where we are eating is just inside the doors.” This time she grabbed his arm without him offering. 

There was a little counter in the corner by their entrance. Apparently it was an Asian fast food place called “Wow Bao” and it advertised their “hot asian buns”. Lizzie giggled and while Darcy was ordering she snapped a picture and sent it to Jane with a message attached saying “Looks like I’m not the only Bennet sister getting some hot asian buns.” 

She went to Darcy as he was waiting and grabbed the cups. He recommended the Ginger Ale and she filled both cups with it. He had a steaming bag and led her to the escalators. She was on the inside and as they went on, Darcy grabbed both drinks, assuming that he knew what Lizzie was about to do. He was right and as they rode up Lizzie tried to grab the balls of water being shot up by the fountain as they road. It took her a few times, but as she got with the rhythm she caught every single one. She was giggling all the way up and when they reached the top Darcy had to say her name to remind her that they were going to eat. There was a small metallic table in a side alley. He pulled out 2 boxes and set them in front of himself. The third box he handed to Lizzie. “I ordered a box of Teriyaki for myself along with four more. I ordered one of everything for you, including the dessert kind.” 

He quickly devoured all ten of his Teriyaki buns while Lizzie took one bite of each and finished the Teriyaki, Chicken Curry, and Mongolian Beef. She took a nibble of the chocolate and then the coconut. Darcy cleaned up as she finished the coconut. They walked back to the escalators and Lizzie resumed her game with the fountain and when they reached the bottom Lizzie put her wet hand against Darcy’s face. He gave an ungraceful yelp and Lizzie laughed. He grabbed her hand and dragged her into the soap store. Neither of them noticed that they were holding hands until they parted in the store. Darcy left Lizzie to her own devices, although he always knew where she was as he heard the occasional sneeze. He saw a pink chunk titled with something alluding to candy. He quickly bought it and then found Lizzie. He held up his bag “I’m ready to go, when you are ready to stop sneezing.” Lizzie smiled and hurried past him in the direction of the door, a few months ago she would have thought it an insult, that he had been mocking her, but now she knew he was thoughtfully teasing her. 

They rushed across the street and Darcy pointed to the small “tower”. “That is one of the few buildings that did not burn in the Great Chicago Fire.” She pulled out her phone and grabbed a friendly looking man, who looked in his mid-thirties. She grabbed Will’s hand as they posed in front of the tower. “One” She squeezed Will’s hand “Two” Will squeezed back “Three” and they both broke from posed smiles into large grins, well Lizzie’s was large, Darcy’s was more subtle. She thanked the stranger as he walked toward them. She quickly showed it to Darcy and he saw her pull up his contact name as she pulled the phone away. He felt his own phone vibrate not a second later. 

“Wait, is that a Hershey store?” she turned to look at him. He nodded and she ran inside. He watched her browse and checked his phone. He had received a message from Lizzie. It read “I don’t care what you do with this as long as you don’t send it to Gigi :)” and the picture of them at the tower was attached. She suddenly called out to him. “Will, you owe me a drink.” “I know,” he answered confused. “I want a hot chocolate please.” “Are you sure about that?” He quirked an eyebrow “Yes, why wouldn’t I be, now pay up.” “You are absolutely certain about this?” “Yes, quit stalling! Go head over to the cafe while I get a giant kiss to send to Lydia.” He walked towards her with one hot chocolate. “Aren’t you going to get one?” she asked. “Yes, in about five minutes, come on.” 

The exited and turned down the street, and there was a Ghirardelli store. She laughed and punched him. “Why didn’t you tell me?” “I asked if you were sure.” “Well, I can’t walk in there with a Hershey’s hot chocolate, and since you did not inform me I demand a new one.” 

As he made his way to the cafe counter, she found a chocolate bar that she recognized as one he recommended from their stop at Ghirardelli’s in San Francisco, she quickly bought it and snuck it into her purse. 

This time, she let Darcy hail the cab. He opened the door for her and helped her inside. “Millenium Park, please.” “Will, what is that?” Lizzie asked as they approached. “What is what?” “You know, that giant thing that looks like a mercury covered jelly bean.” “You’ll see in a minute.” “But, Will,” She whined. He quirked an eyebrow, handed the driver a bill, and dragged her out of the cab. “A couple years ago there was a competition for a sculpture to be placed in Millenium Park and this won. It soon became a place designated for touristy pictures. I figured it would be a great photo-opp.” Darcy said as he grabbed her hand and brought her underneath the center of the “bean”. Darcy took out his phone and positioned it to face the ceiling. He tipped his head back and Lizzie did the same. He showed the picture to Lizzie and proceeded to send it to her with the message attached: “I won’t tell if you won’t”. Lizzie smiled as she felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. 

“So, where to next?” Lizzie asked as she climbed in the cab. “ESPN Zone, please.” Darcy told the driver. “William Darcy. You are not taking me to a sports center.” He stayed silent the rest of the car ride, although Lizzie was another matter. The climbed out of the taxi and Darcy grabbed Lizzie’s hand. She pulled her hand out, folded her arms, and shook her head as she planted herself on the sidewalk. Darcy’s head was beginning to tuck into his chin as doubt filled his mind for the first time that day. “I went to hold her hand after she had held it, heck even squeezed it, multiple times today. Maybe she is just playing with my emotions.” He thought, but then he realized that Lizzie wasn’t staring at him with disgust, but the ESPN Zone sign. He laughed, feeling ever-more confident, and cocked his head towards the enterance. “Come on, Lizzie.” He said as he held out his hand. She huffed, murmured “fine” and then grabbed his hand. 

As they walked up the winding stairs Lizzie saw that while this being ESPN and definately sports themed, it was more of an arcade. She laughed as Darcy pulled her through the crowd of boys ranging in age from 7 to teen. He stopped her in front of a dancing game and said “Lizzie, would you care to-”he cleared his throat “Lizzie, do you wanna get your groove thing on?”. Lizzie erupted with laughter and Darcy blushed. 

Instead of answering, she hopped onto the platform and selected a song. They played for 15 minutes before Lizzie complained of getting tired and they headed back onto the street. 

They arrived at a normal looking building, except for the golden scrawl that read “Grand Luxe” above the door. He opened the door for her and she stepped inside. The restaurant wasn’t very impressive, except that it looked like something from Alice and Wonderland and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. As they waited for Darcy’s name to be called, they wandered around, looking at things. Lizzie grabbed his hand a dragged him through a small opening. There was nothing except a small ledge and a window. Neither of them knew how it started but soon they were pretending to be mannequins at the pedestrians through the window. No one really fell for it, but they did get some stares. Darcy was freakishly good at it though. He could stay posed and indifferent looking for five minutes. Lizzie couldn’t last five seconds without laughing. “Will, how do you do it?” He stayed posed. “Seriously though, you are so good.” A microscopic smile spread on his face for a brief moment. “Will!” She yelled and then she proceeded to climb in between him and the window, it was a tight fit. She held up her hand in front of his face and waved it, no response. They heard a faint “Darcy, for two.” He broke the facade and grabbed her hand, dragging her towards the waiting area. “Will, seriously. Tell meee. Pleeeasse?” She mounted herself to the ground and pulled on his hand, forcing him to turn and look at her. He smiled and walked towards her. “Darcybot malfunction.” He whispered and, using her moment of surprise to his advantage, picked her up and carried her to the table. There was no such thing as proprietary when it came to Lizzie Bennet. 

Dinner was good. It was casual, nothing spectacular, but they were more concerned with the word of mouth than the food in mouth. They actually moved past general topics and talked about more personal things. “So, uh, how is Lydia doing?” Darcy said as he was tucking his head into his neck. “She’s doing better everyday...” Lizzie smiled “We are getting better at communicating. As horrible as what happened was, I’m glad that I’m getting to know her better.” “Yeah, that is good. It was the opposite for me and Gigi. She idolized me before, and then after, the, uh, incident, she hated me and shut me out. I’m glad that there is something positive that could come from this for you.” Lizzie touched his elbow “I just wanted to say thank you for everything that you did. You didn’t need to, but you did and it was a life-saver.” Darcy’s head jerked up, but Lizzie continued. “I mean my plane ticket, packing my things, giving up those box seats, I appreciate it so much.” Darcy remained tense. “So, she didn’t know, she definitely would have mentioned buying a porn company.” He thought. It was the first time either one of them mentioned his invitation to the theater. Darcy’s chin retracted further. He inhaled deeply, while his confidence was high and said. “Yes, those box seats where the most grievous sacrifice.” It was a safe play, he could write it off as teasing, but he could also count it as letting Lizzie know of his feelings. “Well, maybe I could make it up to you...... I got it! I demand my prize for winning the taxi hailing contest! As payment, for my taxi hailing skills, I demand that William Darcy, take me, Elizabeth Bennet, to the theater before we return to San Francisco.” 

Lizzie didn’t notice her slip-up, and Darcy was so absorbed in all the messages in that statement, that he didn’t say anything of it. Lizzie excused herself to the bathroom and Darcy quickly pulled out his phone to see what was playing on Broadway when they would be in New York. He was worried that there wouldn’t be anything acceptable, but he soon found the perfect show. He texted Reynolds to make the appropriate arrangements. Lizzie returned “Will, the rule is that whoever uses their phone at dinner pays.” Will tried his best to whine “But, Lizziee, It’s super important.” “Will, what could possibly be so important to interrupt your time with the fabulous Lizzie Bennet?” “Arranging certain plans at a theater, per the fabulous Lizzie Bennet’s request.” “You win. I’ll pay!” She jumped up and yelled “Waiter! We’re ready for the check!” Darcy blushed. “What? You honestly didn’t think that I wouldn’t get you back for carrying me to the table?” Lizzie teased. Darcy threw a couple bills on the table “Let’s just go.” Lizzie started to loudly protest, but he clamped his hand over her mouth with one hand, slipped his hand around her arms and waist with the other and guided her out of the restaurant. When they reached the cab, he released her and she released an insane fit of laughter. 

They made it to the apartment and went to their respective rooms. She started to arrange her things into stuff to keep at the apartment and things to bring to New York. She wanted to make sure that they were leaving at 7:30 the next morning, but she stopped in front of Darcy’s bedroom door as she hear him on the phone. “No, Gigi, I haven’t told her about the Domino videos.” “Gigi. You know perfectly well, why not.” “Of course, you know I do. But, I don’t want her to feel a sense of obligation; I don’t want to make things unnecessarily awkward when we interact in the future.” “Yes, if that were to happen, I would tell her first thing. I am not one for secrecy, you know that.” 

Lizzie had forgotten why she needed to talk to Darcy. She headed back into her room. She made a note to watch the “Domino videos”, it was very intriguing, but it was already 11 pm and she needed to wake up at 6 the next morning. 

She found the candy bar in her purse and slid it under the door. Using a post-it note she had written on it: 

Thanks for another fantastic day, I still owe you your prize though. Hurry and think of something! :) 

The next morning he found the candy bar and she found the chunk of pink soap. They both smiled and decided to save it for later.


	7. Chapter 7

Darcy was putting the luggage back into the car and Lizzie was using his phone to find a different playlist.  
“Lizzie?” He called.  
“Mmm?”  
“So, I originally planned to stop at Cleveland, and then Scranton the next day, but with two drivers we could easily go all the way, but Scranton is less than three hours to New York, so it wouldn’t make sense to stop there..... But, if we did go all the way it would mean 14 hours in the car, and we would get there 11 pm local time.”  
“Let’s just drive, the sooner we get to New York, the better.”  
“I agree.”

Darcy drove the first seven hours. They switched after a short, and much needed, lunch. Lizzie hadn’t forgotten about the “Domino Videos”, but she wanted to watch them privately. Darcy soon picked up teleconferencing, but it only lasted an hour. He fell asleep soon afterwards, even though it was relatively early. She sighed and glanced at him. She was sure of her affection now, and there was definitely no going back, and she thought that they were moving forward. She initiated doing things, she teased him, she even held his hand. Surely, he would declare his feelings. He had done it before, twice exactly, based on so much less. What if he wasn’t stalling, what if he was just being polite? What if he thought she had ulterior motives? It didn’t seem that way, he seemed to enjoy everything, but he hadn’t been perfectly clear. Honestly, she knew that she hadn’t been perfectly clear either. She gave herself two goals for the next day: watch the videos and make things clear between herself and William. There was too much to lose on any path she chose to not speed up the process. 

They did arrive around 11. Darcy didn’t even stir when they stopped. Luckily, she had a gps and his keys so she could get into his other penthouse apartment in New York. Jane and Bing had just barely found tiny apartments for themselves, it made much more sense for her and Darcy to stay at his apartment. She parked and unloaded both of their bags. It was obvious which room was Will’s and which one was Gigi’s. She chose a yellow room across from Will’s, then she went back down to get Will. “Will-ie-am” She sung as she rubbed his arm. No response. She shook him harder, grabbing him by the shoulders. “William!” A grumpy “mmm” was her only response. “Come on, Will. Time to go up and sleep in your nice cozy bed.” “errr mon man ah” *that is grumpy/sleepy moan speak for “I don’t want to”* “Seriously. Will.” He reverted back to not responding. She ducked her head under his arm and proceeded to get him out of the car and supported him as they walked to the elevator. She heard something drop and saw his phone. She leaned him against a support pole and picked it up. She went to de-activate his alarm for tomorrow, when she saw that Reynolds had emailed him tickets for a show on Broadway for the next night. She laughed and pocketed the phone. “Come on, big boy.” She said as she shifted his support back to her. After tucking William in, she called Jane, who much unlike her goodly reputation was a nightimer. Lizzie and her father were the only early risers in the family. “Lizzie?” Jane answered. “Hey, me and Will just got in.” “Will?” “Yeah, who else?” “Lizzie, what’s going on? Even Bing doesn’t call _Darcy _William” “Well, it just kinda happened. It’s no big deal. I just wanted to let you know that we are safe and that unlike our usual routines, we will not be up early tomorrow. Will was a bit grumpy when I tried to wake him up to get him up here and I’m exhausted.” “Okay. Maybe we can meet for dinner tomorrow night?” “That would be perfect, except Will and I already have plans.” “What?” “Well, it’s a long story, but we are going to see a show tomorrow.” “Lizzie, seriously, what is going on?” “Nothing, seriously. I really need to sleep. Bye, see you whenever.” Lizzie proceeded to belly flop on her bed to keep herself from smiling at the fact that William Darcy was taking her to the theater tomorrow evening.__


	8. Chapter 8

It was 10:30 and she was woken up by faint sound of music. “These walls are paper thin and everyone hears every little sound.” The irony did not escape Lizzie and she walked out to check up on William and his schedule for the day. 

He was not in formal attire. A blue button down and dark jeans. All the days previously, he had been in a suit, so he could teleconference. “Hey,” She said the sleepiness still evident in her voice. “Oh, sorry. Did I wake you?” He sounded earnest, but the look in his eye told her that it was revenge for last night. “Oh, it’s okay. I needed to be woken up. I would hate to lie in bed all day.” She grinned. “Do you want anything to eat? I figured you might want a more substantial breakfast than coffee and a baked good.” “Well, I just came out to check what our itinerary was for today and plan accordingly.” “Well, it is just past 10:30, if I give you an hour to get ready we could go and grab lunch with Jane and Bing. Then I have some things planned until three; we do have a dinner reservation at five.” “Sounds perfect. I’ll go get ready.” 

Lizzie was excited for tonight and to see Bing and Jane, but she was disappointed that she wouldn’t have time to watch the videos. But, it wasn’t a big deal, she had gotten this far without knowing and Darcy wasn’t being malicious, but her curiosity was seething. Maybe he was in a boyband called Domino! Lizzie giggled slightly and brushed away the thought. She wondered how she was going to get Jane’s advice on what to wear without raising her sister’s suspicions. She didn’t want anyone screwing up what was already going well and to mislead her. Tonight she would tell him, but how, when? Worst case she would say it as they went to their rooms, that way if the result was unfavorable she could quickly hide in her room. Yes, that was the plan. 

They met up with Bing and Jane at a sandwich shop. As Jane and Bing approached they heard Lizzie and Darcy chatter. “But, Wih-hill!” Lizzie whined. Bing looked at Jane, alarmed at Lizzie using Darcy’s first name. “But, Lih-zie!” He countered “You have to tell me what show we are seeing. It’s not fair!” “No, I don’t. When you claimed your prize, you said a show, with me, you did not say that I had to disclose any further details.” Jane and Bing shared a glance at this. “That’s because I expected you to be a gentleman and not so darn stubborn!” “Lizzie, I don’t think you have ever thought me a gentleman.” “Not true, you-” “Hey guys!” Jane interrupted, making their presence known. “Hey, we already ordered, so you should go do that. Darcy wanted to be a _gentleman _and wait but I was getting grumpy.” Lizzie replied. “Well, I think I will reclaim my gentlemanly status by going to get your order. Jane? Bing?” “I’ll have a number 7 and a Coke.” Jane said “Same here.” Bing said, as he smiled at Jane. Lizzie pushed Darcy as he made his way to the counter. He turned around and quirked an eyebrow “Don’t make me take back the keys to my ‘Black Cadillac’” “You wouldn’t dare.” “I would. And you would be forced to hail your own taxis for the rest of your life.” “I doubt that, on account of me winning the contest.” “That was in Chicago, here your ‘charms’ would go unnoticed, people are not as reserved here. In New York, I would ‘Dig Your Grave’” “We’ll see about that, tonight. Rematch. Although, you do win the contest of most Modest Mouse references in a conversation. Although, you don’t get a prize, seeing as you have not yet chosen your one from Vegas.” He walked away to order. Bing had a grin plastered on his face, obviously happy about how well they were getting along. Jane looked skeptical of Lizzie.__

“Jane, I have a favor to ask. Me and Will are going to see a show tonight and I don’t know what to wear. Since you are the queen of fashion, you should help me pick something.” “Oh, Lizzie! I have the perfect thing. I actually picked this out for you and wanted to give it to you for your birthday, but it will be perfect for tonight!” “Do you have it on hand? We have a reservation for 5....” “It’s at my apartment... Hmm.... I can run it by Darcy’s at 3:45.” “Are you sure?” “Yeah, I have a half hour break. If I book it I can get it there.” “Thank you so much, Jane. It really means a lot.” Darcy walked back carrying Jane and Bing’s food. He sat down next to Lizzie, who bumped her knee against his. He jerked up, grabbing the attention everyone at the table. “Jeeze, Will. Is something wrong?” Lizzie said as she lightly rubbed her hand on his thigh in such a way that Bing and Jane couldn’t see. Darcy tensed, Bing and Jane thought because Lizzie was being so harsh. “Lizzie,” He scolded, but it came out gravlier than he had hoped it would. Lizzie smiled, now assured of his feelings. “What?” She fluttered her eyelashes. “Nothing, just eat.” 

They left Bing and Jane and hopped into a taxi. “Belvedere Castle” Darcy said to the driver. “A castle? Will, if you have ANY claim to a castle here in New York and we are not staying there I will kill you.” He laughed, “No, I do not have a claim to any castles anywhere.” "That is very disappointing." "I'm sorry to disappoint." "Know what would make me feel better? Telling me what show we are seeing tonight!" "Now, that is something I will never tell." "William Darcy, your stubbornness amazes me." "Lizzie Bennet, your stubbornness was what inspired me to grow my stubbornness to such a level." "You are impossible." "If I was I would surely own a castle." He said as they pulled up to the castle. Lizzie just stuck out her tongue and then asked“So, what is it with this castle?” “Oh, nothing it just starts a trail through central park that is hilly and has garden features. I thought that since you loved walking, even on unforgiving hills, and the Japanese Garden at Pemberley, it would be a nice, relaxing, activity since we have been on the go for the last couple days and will continue to be.” “Will, this is perfect.” She reached for his hand and squeezed it. He squeezed back. “I could tell him here, right now. I _should _tell him here right now, but tonight would be better. After the long awaited trip to the theater, the timing would be perfect.” She thought. They proceeded to walk around. The weather wasn’t terribly cold, but it wasn’t so hot as to make them sweat, the perfect walking weather. They talked about so many things, communication theories, Russian literature, although this time the argument was actually playful, not malicious, and how much Lizzie had traveled. She hadn’t traveled much at all really, but she wanted to, and after times like this Darcy wanted to take her with him. It was 2:45 and they needed to head home. When they arrived to the top floor, they made coffee, to warm up after the walk. After the coffee, Lizzie went to shower. Lizzie had just gotten out and put on a towel when she heard Jane on the intercom.__

She ran towards the door and crashed, full force, into Darcy. Luckily, her towel did not fall. “I, uh, heard the door. I thought you were, um, indisposed. I-I’ll just let you get that.” Lizzie blushed with a meek smile as his chin retracted into his neck and he briskly walked past her. 

Lizzie curled her hair and pinned it up. She stayed neutral with her makeup though. She opened the garment bag and there was a royal blue form-fitting dress. It was perfect. She smiled at the thought of Will’s reaction. She slipped in on and found pearl-drop earrings. She grabbed a pair of silver strappy heels and pulled them on. She grabbed her phone, or “precious” as it was more often called and walked out of her room, that was the only thing she needed. Darcy was sitting on his couch, on his own “precious”. He jumped up at the sound of her door to reveal him in a grey shirt, black vest, black tie, and matching black pants. She smiled as she saw the chain for a pocket watch in his vest. Lizzie gasped at how he looked, but he did not return the expression. He turned quiet, and gave her the same intense stare that he had given her since they met. She walked up confidently, pulled on her coat, while Darcy did the same, and grabbed his arm. “Yes,” She thought “Tonight will be perfect.”


	9. Chapter 9

William held onto Lizzie’s arm tightly as they approached the edge of the sidewalk, outside the restaurant. She pushed him against a car and leaped towards the street. 

“You really thought I would forget our rematch?” Lizzie said without turning back towards him. 

“Well, if you want to play that way.” Darcy spitted back. 

He crept up behind her, as she was waving frantically and yelling. Then when she was being particularly sporadic, he put his hand over her mouth, picked her up, and threw her over his shoulder. What a few moments ago was yelling, became muted laughter, and waving arms became striking arms. William laughed and whistled. A taxi pulled up, and he shoved her inside. 

“That was uncalled for and cheating.” Lizzie said while crossing her arms and jutted her lower lip out. 

“I believe you started this, and all is fair in love and war.” William replied. 

“Which case is this?” Lizzie questioned as she tilted her head and leaned in towards him. 

“Both I imagine. A war of love. The loveliest kind of wars, but also the most tragic.” 

“Will, I never thought of you as a poet.” She blushed and smiled to her lap. She continued in a whisper, “I hope ours is more lovely than tragic. We definitely have had our share of tragedy, but if the loveliness exceeds the tragedy, or even is the same level, but lasts longer. It will be worth it. At least, I hope....” 

She looked up at him, expecting to say her feelings and meet his eyes while doing so, but he was looking at the window and she lost her courage. She looked down out of embarrassment and played with her phone mindlessly. 

When she stopped speaking, he turned around to look at her. She looked distraught. 

“Lizzie, are you alright?” the concern evident in his voice. 

“Yes, I-I’m fine.” her voice obviously broken. 

He took her hand in his and squeezed it tightly, but not uncomfortably. 

She looked up at him and smiled, the tears welling up her eyes. What he did next surprised both of them. He leaned down and hugged her. William Darcy hugged Lizzie Bennet. 

“Will,” Lizzie said gasping 

“Mmm.” He responded 

“I love you and all, but you are crushing me.” She smiled, even though he couldn’t see it. 

“Oh, sorry.” He immediately jerked up and returned to his window. 

Lizzie sensed that he misinterpreted her message. Yes, she did love him, but by no means was it casual, and she appreciated his hug. She scooted over to him and lifted up his arm, tucking herself into his side. 

“Will, you give the best hugs.” She said as she snuggled closer against him. 

“T-thank you. Broadway is coming up on your side of the car. You might want to look at it.” He was smiling down at her, but she couldn’t see that. 

She jumped up and looked out of her window. She was absorbed by the lights and trying to guess which show they would be seeing. When she glanced back at him, she stopped and stared. She saw William Darcy in a red bowtie and his infamous “Newsie” hat. Before she could say anything, the cab stopped. William payed the driver and as Lizzie stepped out, she saw that “Newsies” was the title in the lights. She bursted into uncontrolled laughter. 

“William Darcy, you do know how to charm a woman.” She said 

“I think this cap is proof that I don’t.” He smiled. 

“I think that cap is proof that you are a better person than you lead on.” 

She wrapped her arm around his and pulled out her phone with her other hand. She found a motherly figure with two young girls in line in front of them and before entering asked if they would take their picture. The first picture was charming and held nothing out of the ordinary, except for the fact that the couple was holding hands. For the second one, with much coaxing from Lizzie, they posed as robots. For the third one, Lizzie had on William’s hat and was pulling him towards her using his bowtie. They approached the woman and thanked her. Lizzie showed Will the photos. 

“My favorite is the last one.” She said. 

“I like all of them.” He stated. 

His phone vibrated and he assumed it was a copy of the photos, but when he pulled out his phone to show the tickets, he saw it was a text from Gigi. 

“Dearest big brother. Why are you in New York, with LIZZIE BENNET!?!?!?! And why did you not tell me?” 

He quickly clicked out and pulled up the tickets. He felt another vibrate, and looked to see three twitter notifications. 

“@TheLizzieBennet: Finally, at the theater with @wmdarcy” underneath was the first photo. 

“@TheLizzieBennet: Sorry @wmdarcy, I knew I said I wouldn’t tell.....” then the second photo was attached. 

“@TheLizzieBennet: FYI @wmdarcy, I count tweeting these pictures as part of my prize, so you can’t get mad at me :)” the third picture was attached. 

Lizzie saw him checking his phone and when he looked up at her, she grabbed his hand and lead him toward their seats. 

“Are you mad?” Lizzie sounded scared. 

“No, not at all. I’m just surprised that I got Gigi’s text about the pictures before the actual twitter notifications.” He chuckled. 

“Oh, no. I’m sorry about your _energetic _sister.”__

She had said it cheerfully, but he wasn’t sure if she was teasing or actually angry. When he felt a squeeze on his hand he looked up to find her smiling at him. 

The lights dimmed and the show started. Lizzie was soon engrossed in watching the show, and William was soon engrossed in watching Lizzie. At intermission they got up and walked around the theater. She talked constantly about the show, and he nodded and gave the occasional comment. He was not going to argue with her about this. They worked their way back to the seats and she stopped him. He turned around and she reached up and hugged him. 

“Thank you so much. This means a lot to me.” She whispered into his ear. 

“My pleasure.” He replied as she sat back down.


	10. Chapter 10

The curtain dropped for the last time. Lizzie couldn’t fight back the smile. Yes, the show was good, but she was clapping louder than she should be. She felt so happy and she was confident. She was going to tell him how she felt when they got home. She couldn’t bear the excitement, but she knew once they got home it would be the perfect moment. Everything about them had been so public, this life-altering revelation had to be private. They deserved one sacred moment between them and tonight would be the perfect night for that moment. 

She looked at William and he was smiling too. It was as if he knew. As the applause died they grabbed each other’s hands and headed out. They soon started talking about the show, the costuming, staging, casting, everything and anything. There were no arguments, malicious or playful, they had spent tonight in each other’s company and wanted to have a light and honest conversation with each other. 

They were outside the doorway and William was fumbling with his keys. The anticipation was killing Lizzie. She wanted to just kiss him, but she knew he deserved more than that. He deserved to know the depth of her feelings, the thoughts that fed them, and the meanings behind the actions before they were committed. 

They were outside their respective rooms. It was obvious William didn’t know how to properly end the evening and Lizzie knew that it wasn’t over. She took a deep breath and William’s phone started to ring. 

“Sorry, Lizzie, I wouldn’t usually answer, but it is from the company I have meetings with in Chicago. I will see you tomorrow?” William said. He looked and sounded apologetic, but she could tell it was important. She could wait until after the phone call. 

”It’s fine. I totally understand. I’ll be in the living room when you’re done.” 

He looked surprised that she would wait up, but nodded his head, answered the call, and headed into his bedroom. She headed to the living room. She didn’t know what to do. She walked around, getting a good look at it. She had been there before, but always briefly. She saw a picture of Gigi riding a horse. She looked about 15. She saw a younger looking William and Fitz around a pool table. William was about to strike and looked pensive, but Fitz was posed behind him being as ridiculous as ever. There was a picture of Bing, Caroline, Gigi, and William laughing around a board game. There was a recent one of Gigi’s graduation. William and Catherine were on either side of her. William wore a smirk, Catherine was looking stern, and Gigi was giggling. It was obvious that Fitz had taken this picture. Then there was a picture of a smaller William. He looked about seven. William wasn’t centered in the frame, but it captured the whole of his face. It was obvious he was in an art museum and he was staring thoughtfully at a painting. The resemblance was striking between the expression on seven year old William’s face and an expression current William wore a lot around Lizzie. She was surprised at the tenderness she felt in regards to this picture of William. She felt like it belonged to her, because it was her look. It was what she had so gracefully dubbed his “carcrash look”. She couldn’t bear to look at this picture anymore. She couldn’t face the feelings she felt for this man without expressing them and she did not have the means yet. 

She heard the door opened and looked up with relief on her face. He came out and walked towards her. 

“I just received some news in regards to my meetings in Chicago. I was misbooked. They have the meetings scheduled for tomorrow. I have to leave. I am flying out tomorrow morning. I would be heading back to San Fransisco by the time we had planned to get back to Chicago. You of course are welcome to stay here until you are ready to head home and I will fly you back to Fresno and send your bags there because this was my fault.” He announced. He sounded blank like there was either no meaning to his words or too much. 

Lizzie was shocked. What was she supposed to do now? Say that she loved him and then send him on his way. She thought they would have weeks together to establish their relationship and figure out the details, not a few hours. He turned back towards his room. 

“I really enjoyed this trip. I’m sorry it had to end this way.” He added 

“Me too. I was really excited about spending a week with you in Chicago.” She replied. 

She knew she couldn’t make the big reveal now, but she could at least satisfy one part of her curiosity. 

“Will? What are the ‘Domino Videos’. I accidently heard you talk to Gigi about them, but I haven’t had the time to find and watch them. I was hoping you would tell me.” 

His head jerked up at the word Domino. He went to his room and grabbed a laptop. He pulled up youtube and she saw Gigi’s face. He handed her the laptop and went to his room. 

He came back out when he was packed and heard that she had one video left. She didn’t look up at him, but patted the space next to her on the couch. He walked up and sat there. She curled herself into his side as she pulled up the last video. He looked down at her and saw the tears in her eyes. 

The video ended. She was silent for a minute. 

“I was so stupid. Of course it was you. I thought you hated me and I was too afraid to contact you while you were out doing all this, for my family, you helped my sister when I couldn't. I can’t thank you enough.” She whispered. 

“Lizzie, don’t thank me. If I wanted you to thank me I would have told you.” 

“No. I need to thank you, for me, for my family, for anyone who was ever hurt by George.” 

“Lizzie, I don’t want you to feel any sort of obligation.” 

“No, I feel obligated to tell the man I love how much I appreciate his efforts. I feel obligated to get all of this off of my chest before you fly off to Chicago and leave me behind. I love you, Will. I have loved you since Pemberley. Honestly, I was so excited when you asked me to the theater and then I got the phone call and I died a little. I had to leave you behind, I wasn’t resentful, I did the right thing, the thing that needed to be done, but I thought you were gone. I thought our chances were gone and I couldn’t stand to have that rubbed in my face. That is why I was driving out here, so I could mull it over for days and get it out of my system. Then you came along and I thought we were getting along so well and I could finally tell you and we could sort it all out before we got back, but we can’t. This time you are the one leaving.” She bursted into tears. 

Darcy was obviously at a loss. Then all of a sudden he jerked up. Lizzie gazed miserably up at him. 

“I got it! I want to redeem my prize. I request that you, Elizabeth Bennet, come with me, William Darcy, to Chicago.” He proceeded to take out his phone. 

“Reynolds, can you find me a flight to Chicago within the next hour?” “I will be needing two tickets.” “Great, thank you so much.” 

He turned to Lizzie, who had a deer in headlights look on her face. He picked her up. 

“It’s time to go.” He said and headed towards her room. 

“Wait! Will! Go to the bookcase first!” She yelled. 

He did as she instructed and she grabbed the picture of seven year old Will. 

“I claim this picture as my prize for being cheated against in the rematch from today.” She stated 

“Fair enough.” He said as he turned them back towards her room. 

They mad dashed to get everything packed. Once it was done, they rushed downstairs to a cab. They squeezed each other's hands all the way there. 

When they got to the airport they quickly checked all of their bags. William had laptop bag and Lizzie had her purse. They ran to their gate and got in just in time. Once they were settled, did they realize what had just happened. They glanced and smiled at each other. Once the wifi was turned on, Will pulled out his laptop and they watched a movie together. They never not anything near to intimate, they were on a public airplane afterall, but they never stopped touching each other. A hand on a knee, a head on a shoulder, an arm wrapped around the other person. 

They arrived at Will’s penthouse an hour later. Will took Lizzie’s luggage into her room and then went towards his own. She grabbed his hand and dragged him onto her bed. 

“Will, I love you.” She said and then kissed him. They were finally alone and together and she could do whatever she wanted. 

“I love you too, Lizzie.” He said, smiling down at her. 

They were too tired and relieved to move away from eachother, so they settled in for the night. They were filled with the promise of tomorrow. 

The next morning Bing woke up with a text from Darcy. 

“Arrived with Lizzie in Chicago last night. Would you mind cleaning out my car and driving it to a dealer’s? You are the best.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, I know that my quality dropped off dramatically after chapter 6, but I had gotten ridiculously busy.......This ended totally different than I planned in the beginning. I hope you guys enjoyed it. I'm sorry if it doesn't really make sense. Thanks for reading! :)


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